Wednesday, May 2, 2007

2 Bob Morris covers, and one that got away

For an illustrator, landing a hardcover book jacket is a real thrill - Steve Snider from St.Martins Press had seen my Fresh profile in Communication Arts magazine a few years ago and decided I might be a good fit for the debut novel by Bob Morris, Bahamarama, a neo-noir mystery novel that follows a tough-guy hero based in the Florida Keys. The pulpy cover came together quickly with Steve’s Zen-like direction and it stood out nicely on the New Fiction shelves.

Bahamarama was a big success, garnering Mr. Morris a well deserved Edgar nomination for his two-fisted prose, and me a call for the sequel, Jamaica Me Dead. It also came together well although it had a little more pressure on it due to the first novel's success.

When the third book came along, the editors said they really wanted to do something “special” with this cover (read new direction). I have to hand it to Steve and AD Jerry Todd for sticking by me as we tried to maintain a series look - but I knew I was sunk when the editor requested something less “low-brow”-- ouch!

Anyway, here are several low-brow sketches for Bermuda Schwartz. (You can see the finished books on Amazon).